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Geelong hosts Fremantle in an epic encounter between two of the best teams of 2022.
The Cats (4-2, 121.7%) are coming off a big 60-point win over North Melbourne last week, but will be without Patrick Dangerfield (calf) for a second-straight game.
The Dockers (5-1, 144.2%) are meanwhile one of most improved teams of the season to emerge as a genuine top four contender, if not more. Freo claimed its biggest scalp of the season last week in ousting the Blues for its fourth-straight win.
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But Justin Longmuir’s team will be without Matt Taberner and Sean Darcy due to injury in two cruel blows.
The match gets underway at 1:45pm EST from GMHBA Stadium.
MATCH REPORT
Luke Dahlhaus (Geelong) and Bailey Banfield (Fremantle) were named the medical subs.
The Cats had all the play in the first quarter, booting the opening thee goals through Tom Hawkins, Tyson Stengle and Mark Blicavs to put pressure on the visitors.
“Real concerns here for Fremantle,” Fox Footy commentator Mark Howard said.
Tom Stewart lined up on the wing in what proving to be a great early move by Chris Scott, racking up nine disposals in the opening term as the Cats’ midfield got right on top.
“Getting dominated through the midfield,” Saints great Nick Dal Santo said.
Nathan O’Driscoll brought back some momentum for the Dockers with a freakish goal from the boundary that just bounced over the line.
Stewart to the wing wasn’t the Cats’ only move, with Zach Tuohy playing half back, and despite Blicavs taking an uncontested mark inside 50 early and kicking truly, he spent the rest of the term at full back.
“They’re mixing and matching, I love to see it,” Dal Santo.
Geelong led by nine points at quarter time, 5.0 (30) to 3.3 (21).
The Dockers turned the tables on the Cats in the second term as the ball lived in their forward half, kicking three behinds before Rory Lobb converted his second major to make it a one-point game.
“Freo’s pace is just starting to come into the contest, worrying the Cats a little bit. Blake Acres has been huge in this game in setting up their ball movement from a wing, bringing it back inside the corridor to allow the forwards to reposition,” Bulldogs great Brad Johnson said.
“Rory Lobb has been best on for Fremantle this afternoon,”
Dal Santo highlighted how the Dockers had “completely turned around” several key areas.
“First quarter they were getting smashed in the contested situation, around the clearances. The back half of the first quarter they got themselves back into the game,” Dal Santo said.
The Dockers continued to press to close out the half, but were only able to add one more point to their score.
It meant Geelong 5.1 (31) and Fremantle 4.7 (31) were all tied up at the main break.
Watch it live on Fox Footy (channel 504) from 1pm EST.
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